Crime & Safety
Beaumont Men Accused In Banning Pot Shop Shooting To Stand Trial
The alleged heist occurred just before 11 p.m. last June 23 at a cannabis outlets located in Banning.
BANNING, CA — Two brothers accused of shooting and stabbing three people during a robbery at a Banning marijuana dispensary must stand trial on attempted murder and other charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Richard Matus Jr., 26, and Raymond Paul Matus, 20, both of Beaumont, were arrested five days after the holdup last June in the 6000 block of West Ramsey Street.
Following a preliminary hearing at the Banning Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Becky Dugan found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for both defendants on two counts of attempted murder and one count of robbery, with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
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Dugan also affirmed a charge of assault with a deadly weapon against Raymond Matus.
She scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for July 12.
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Raymond Matus is being held in lieu of $3 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. His brother is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
The alleged heist occurred just before 11 p.m. last June 23 at one of several cannabis outlets located in Banning.
Officers were called to the dispensary by witnesses and found two victims suffering from stab wounds and another who had been shot, but the bandits were nowhere to be found.
The three victims were taken to nearby San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital, where they were treated and eventually recovered.
Evidence gathered at the scene and statements from witnesses led investigators to identify the Matus brothers as the alleged perpetrators. They were arrested without incident on June 28 along University Avenue in San Diego and ultimately transferred to the custody of Banning police.
According to court records, Raymond Matus has unresolved pending cases for alleged theft and assault. His older brother has documented prior convictions for driving under the influence and being a habitual traffic offender, both misdemeanors.
— By City News Service
